Systemic hypothermia in the neo.nEURO.network trial showed a strong neuroprotective effect and was effective in the severe HIE group.

Early stages of intervertebral disc degeneration are postulated to cause instability. In the literature, however, some authors report the opposite. These contradictory positions are probably supported by the mostly small number of segments which are investigated. The aim of this project therefore was to investigate the influence of intervertebral disc degeneration on lumbar spine rotational stability using a large data set. The flexibility data from all spine specimens tested in our institute so far were collected in a large in vitro database. From this database, all lumbar spine specimens were selected, which had been tested for flexibility under pure moment loads of ±7.5 N m and for which radiographs were accessible. 203 segments met these criteria. Their radiographic degree of disc degeneration was determined on a scale from 0 (no degeneration) to 3 (severe degeneration) and their influence on the respective range of motion and neutral zone was examined. The different lumbar levels differ in flexibility, which increases the variability of the data if pooled together. To minimise this effect a statistical model was fitted. The model-based mean estimates showed a decrease of the range of motion from grade 0 to 3 in flexion/extension (by 3.1°, p \ 0.05) and lateral bending (by 3.4°, p \ 0.05). In contrast, in axial rotation the range of motion tended to increase; however, not only from grade 0 to 1 but also towards grade 3 (by 0.2°) (p [ 0.05). The neutral zone was affected in a similar way but to a smaller degree (p [ 0.05). In conclusion, the results indicated that early stages of intervertebral disc degeneration do not necessarily cause rotational instability. In contrast, stability increased in flexion/extension and lateral bending. Only in axial rotation stability tended to decrease.

ERRATUMThe online version of the original can be found at http://dx

Background As access to evidence‐based treatments for young refugees with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) is limited, we developed the trauma‐focused group intervention Mein Weg to be delivered by trained social workers. A recently published pilot study delivered preliminary evidence of the intervention with regard to symptom reduction and its feasibility. The aim of this study was, therefore, to determine whether the intervention, in addition to usual care (UC), is more effective in reducing PTSS (primary outcome) compared to UC alone. Methods A parallel group randomized controlled trial was conducted in seven German child and adolescent welfare agencies. Participants were randomly assigned to either six sessions Mein Weg (n = 50; Mage = 17.00, 94% male) or UC (n = 49; Mage = 16.92, 92% male). Mixed effect models, with fixed effects of group and time as well as their interaction, were performed on the relevant outcome measures. This trial was registered in the German Clinical Trials Registry (#DRKS00010915, https://www.drks.de/drks_web/). Results Intention‐to‐treat analyses showed that Mein Weg was significantly superior to UC regarding symptom improvement of self‐reported PTSS (Mein Weg: d = .61, UC: d = .15) and depression (Mein Weg: d = .63, UC: d = −.06), but not regarding caregiver‐reported symptoms and self‐reported dysfunctional posttraumatic cognitions. Conclusions Mein Weg is effective for young refugees according to self‐reports and can be viewed as a valuable component in a stepped care approach for this vulnerable population. The findings need to be replicated with independent clinical assessments.

ERRATUMThe online version of the original can be found at http://dx.

A new radiographic grading system for a more objective assessment of lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration has been described and tested in Part I of this study.

No abstract

INTRODUCTION:Preclinical, epidemiological, and small clinical studies suggest that green tea extract (GTE) and its major active component epigallocatechingallate (EGCG) exhibit antineoplastic effects in the colorectum.METHODS:A randomized, double-blind trial of GTE standardized to 150 mg of EGCG b.i.d. vs placebo over 3 years was conducted to prevent colorectal adenomas (n = 1,001 with colon adenomas enrolled, 40 German centers). Randomization (1:1, n = 879) was performed after a 4-week run-in with GTE for safety assessment. The primary end point was the presence of adenoma/colorectal cancer at the follow-up colonoscopy 3 years after randomization.RESULTS:The safety profile of GTE was favorable with no major differences in adverse events between the 2 well-balanced groups. Adenoma rate in the modified intention-to-treat set (all randomized participants [intention-to-treat population] and a follow-up colonoscopy 26–44 months after randomization; n = 632) was 55.7% in the placebo and 51.1% in the GTE groups. This 4.6% difference was not statistically significant (adjusted relative risk 0.905; P = 0.1613). The respective figures for the per-protocol population were 54.3% (151/278) in the placebo group and 48.3% (129/267) in the GTE group, indicating a slightly lower adenoma rate in the GTE group, which was not significant (adjusted relative risk 0.883; P = 0.1169).DISCUSSION:GTE was well tolerated, but there was no statistically significant difference in the adenoma rate between the GTE and the placebo groups in the whole study population.